Apparatus for handling sheet materials



Sept. 15, 1964 w. H. EBURN, JR., ETAL 3,143,782

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SHEET MATERIALS 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 8, 1963 INVENTORS M BY 3, ,1 M a. 6L

ATTORNEY INV% ITORS y )4, 2M M 6 Q1 ATTORNEY W. H. EBURN, JR, ETAL APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SHEET MATERIALS I-I.IIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIII l I Sept. 15, 1964 Filed March 8, 1963 Sept. 15, 1964 w. H. EBURN, JR., ETAL 8 APPARATUS FORIHANDLING SHEET MATERIALS e Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 8,- 1963 mm ON INVENTORS BY Mam ATTORNEY Sept. 15, 1964 w. H. EBURN, JR., ETAL APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SHEET MATERIALS 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 8, 1965 I'll]. 1||||||lll| ||ll INVENTORS ATTORNEY Sept. 15, 1964 w. H. .EBURN, JR.. ETAL 3,148,782

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SHEET MATERIALS 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Q; anw vi 5% INVENTORS M BY I U UI IHHIII IHI IJIL Filed March 8, 1963 ATTORNEY Sept. 15, 1964 W. H. EBURN, JR" ETAL APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SHEET MATERIALS 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed March 8, 1963 INVENTORS W1! FM- ATTOR N EY United States Patent 3,143,752 APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SIEET MATERIALS William H. Ehurn, 31:, East Weymouth, and Joel A. Hamilton, West Medway, Mass., assignors to Curran Industries, incorporated, Wayland, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Fiied Mar. 8, 1963, Ser. No. 263,787 2% Claims. (Cl. 214-85) This invention relates to novel apparatus for handling sheet materials, and particularly to apparatus for transferring sheet material in the form of panels one at a time from a supply thereof.

A number of manufactured products, particularly printed wiring panels, commence their fabrication as, or embody, a sheet material such as metal, which during an early step in the manufacture takes the form of a panel. A variety of manufacturing operations may be performed on each panel by machinery which is automatic in its operation and includes a conveyor for transporting and holding the panel during intermediate operations performed thereon. The panels or sheets, which may be similar or substantially identical in form, are usually supplied in large quantity arranged in stacked or contiguous relation and are fed or transferred, one at a time, to the means which convey the panels during the manufacturing operations thereon.

An object of the invention is to provide novel and improved apparatus for separating a panel from another panel supported in contiguous facing relation therewith and transferring the panel, thus separated, to another supporting means.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the type described capable of separating and transferring panels of various thickness, to a conveyor rapidly, reliably and automatically.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the apparatus possessing'the construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accom panying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view, partially in section, of apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial plan view' of a portion of the appa ratus of FIGURE 1;

' FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the portion of apparatus shown in FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are plan and front elevation views respectively of another portion of the apparatus;

' FIG. 6 is a plan view of a component of the apparatus shown inFIGS. 4 and 5;

the

' FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 77 of FIG. 6;

FIGS. 8 through 13 are somewhat schematic, fragmenwhich transports the panel during subsequent operations performed thereon. g

The panels are preformed, they usually have substan tially identical configurations and thicknesses (although thisis not necessary), and are supplied to the input section of the machine with the panels arranged in contiguous, face-to-face, e.g., stacked, relation. The input section of the machine is required to transfer the panels one at a time (from the stack) to a conveyor which transports the panels through the machine during successive operations perthe machine and manufacturing operations performed tary sectional views showing successive operative positions prising the input section of automated machinery for manufacturing printed circuit boards. performs a succession of operations on generally flat, rectangular boards or panels formed of sheet metal, plastics and the like, and are required to be fed one at a time into The machinery the machine and loaded individually onto a conveyor thereby. The panels are supplied to the machine with the panels in contiguous, face-to-face relation and disposed in vertical (parallel) planes, that is, oriented in substantially the same manner as when suspended from the conveyor. Each of the panels includes an edge section disposed uppermost and fabricated to provide means by which the panel may be supported in a vertical posi-' tion with other'panels, may be gripped, separated from other panels and transferred to and suspended from a conveyor. A typical panel is shown at 10 in FIG. 3 of the drawings as being generally rectangular'in shape and including an upper section formed with a medially located inverted T-shaped cut-out section 12 for slidably suspending the panel on a track, a pair of trapezoidal openings 14 spaced outwardly from cut-out section 12 for receiving fingers or" a conveyor, and a pair of round openings 16 within which the panel isengaged for transferring it to the conveyor. The panels may range in thickness from a minimum of a few thousandths of an inch, up to any reasonable thickness which is limited, primarily, by the weight which the apparatus is able to support For purposes of description, the apparatus of the invention may be described as comprising three basic sections each cooperating with the'others while performing a particular function. These sections include an input the machine and transferred to the conveyor. The input section of theapparatusiis shown in FIGS. 1 through 3 of the drawings and comprises a generally rectangular frame 18 mounted on the apparatus so as to extend horizontally therefrom and including two generally parallel, spaced side membersltl connected-at their inner and outer (ends by, respectively, transverse members 22 and 24;; A'track 26in the general form of an'inverted T is suspended near its ends from the undersides of transverse'members 22 and 24. Track '26 is constructed so that panels 10 may be a suspended thereon at the end closest transverse member 24, slid along the track and removed therefrom at the opposite end of the track in' the vicinity of transverse member 22.. 'The undercut portion of theT-shaped cut out section 12 of ea'ch panel. is slightly wider than the track so that the panels will slide freely on the'track' and their positions can be adjusted laterally to permit align: ment of the openings therein with the means for engaging and transferring the panels. I

The input section of the apparatus includes means for I. advancing the panels along track 26 toward transverse member 22 and the means for transferring the panels to the conveyor. These means comprise a pusher assembly designated 28 including rollers 30 at its ends engaged in channels 32 in side members 20 for movement toward and away from transverse member 22. The pusher assembly includes a pair of panel engagement members 34 pivotally mounted adjacent their upper ends and extending downwardly for engaging the upper sections of the panels and urging the panels along the track. The panel engagement members, shown in their operative positions, are pivotable from the vertical position shown only toward transverse member 22 in order to allow members 34 to be pivoted out of the way so that additional panels may be loaded onto track 26 between members 34 and transverse member 22.

Means are provided for moving the pusher assembly including the panel engagement members, toward transverse member 22 in order to advance the panels along the track. These means include a motor 36 driven, for example, by electricity or air, mounted on transverse member 22 and connected through a sprocket 38- to an endless drive chain 40 extending along side member 20 to another sprocket 42 secured to an elongated shaft 44 journalled in side members 20 adjacent transverse member 24. A second drive chain 46 is provided adjacent to another side member mounted on a drive sprocket 48 se cured to shaft 44 and on an idler sprocket 50 mounted on transverse member 22. The pusher assembly is coupled with the drive chains so as to be movable thereby toward transverse member 22', when motor 36 is operated, to a position such as shown, for example, in broken lines in FIG. 2.

The conveyor section of the apparatus, i.e., the section to which the panels are transferred from the input section, is illustrated in FIGS. 1, 4, 5, 14 and of the drawings. The conveyor section includes a carriage 52 from which each panel is suspended and a pair of tracks 54 and 56 on which the carriage is mounted for movement in a direction transversely to the direction of movement of the panels along track 26. Each of tracks 54 and 56 is ldcated above track 26 and channels 32, extends perpendicularly thereto, and comprises a channel in a frame member, the channels being designated, respectively, 58 and 60. A portion of channel 58 may be forward, as shown, in transverse member 22; however both channels extend beyond and to one side of frame 18 at least to an extent sufiicient to allow the carriage, mounted on the tracks 54 and 56 in channels 58 and 60 to be moved (by means not shown) so that a panel suspended from the carriage is clear and completely out of the path of panels moved along track 26.

Carriage 52 includes four rollers 62 engaged in chan nels S8 and 60, permitting the carriage to be reciprocated in the channels between a loading position in which the carriage is located with its mid-portion in alignment with track 26, and a displaced position such as illustrated in FIG. 5 in which thecarriage is to one side of the path of movement of the panels along track 26. -As means for suspending a panel from the carriage, there are provided a pair of levers 64 mounted on the underside of the carriage for pivotal movement about axes which are inclined slightly from the vertical. Each of levers 64 is urged by a spring 66 toward frame 18where it is retained in a loading position by a stud 68, and includes a tapered finger 70 adapted to project into one of trapezoidalopenings 14. in a panel for suspending the panel from the carriage. Mounting the levers for pivotal movement makes it possible to disengage the fingers from engagement in openings 14 in a panel by the simple expedient of holding the panel stationary and moving .the carriage along the tracks therefrom in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of withdrawal movement of the fingers which, being tapered and rounded near their ends as shown, are cammed out of the openings.

The transfer and conveyor loading section of the apparatus is designed to remove panels, one at a time, from track 26 from which they are suspeneded and move each panel toward levers 64 until fingers 70 thereof are engaged in openings 14. This section of the apparatus basically comprises means for gripping a single panel, specifically, the panel (first) closest to the end of the track 26 near transverse member 22, means for moving the gripping means to transfer a panel, and means for operating both the gripping means and the means for moving the same and coordinating the functions thereof.

The transfer and conveyor loading section of the apparatus includes a support structure or frame generally designated 72 and located to the opposite side of the path of the movement of carriage 52 from frame 18. Support structure 72 includes a pair of tracks 74 including channels 76 extending in substantially the same direction as track 26 and. channels 32, and located below tracks 54 forcarriage 52. A generally U-shaped feeder carriage 78, comprising a transverse member 89 and two end members 82 is mounted on rollers 84. journalled in end members 82 and engaged in channel 76. Feeder carriage 78, thus mounted for movement toward and away from a plurality of panels 16 suspended from track 26, is reciprocated by a face cam 86 mounted on a vertical shaft 83- beneath frame '72 and feeder carriage 7'8, shaft 88 being supported at its upper end by frame 72 and being rotated by a suitable drive motor (not shown). A cam follower roller 91). is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis on transverse member and engaged in the cam channel of the face cam, the latter being designed to impart a reciprocating motion to the carriage when the face cam is rotated.

The means for gripping the panels are mounted on feeder carriage 78 and comprise a pair of collets 92, each mounted on a box-like support 94 secured to transverse member 80. The collets shown each have four leaves which are expanded by a tapered pin 96, shown as having a round cross section, engaged within each collet and coupled with means such as a solenoid or an air operated piston and cylinder 98 for reciprocating the pin within the collet. Each of collets 92 includes a generally cylindrical base section 100, an enlarged section or collar 102, an outwardly flared (conic) medial section 104', and a tapered (conic) end section 106. The diameter of the collar is substantially greater than the diameter around opening 16 in a panel 10. Flared medial section 104 is a section of a cone generated by revolving an angle ranging from 5 to 15 degrees about one side, and section 104 isa section of a cone generated by revolving an angle'ranging from 14 to. 45 degrees about one side. The medial and end sections are joined at a sharp corner having a diameter, in the unexpanded condition of the collet, which is just slightly less than the diameter of opening 16 inpanel" 10. It is important that this corner be sharp, rather than rounded, since it is at the corner that the collet engages a panel within an opening 16 therein.

The axial length of medial section 104 determines the,

minimum thickness of the panels which may be handled by the apparatus since the axial length. of the medial section must not exceed the thickness of the panels. To

engage a single panel and separate it from another panel disposed in contiguous, face-to-face contact, the collet is introduced into opening 16 until collar 102 abuts against the surface of thepanel with the medial section disposed within the opening. Tapered pin 96 is then retracted within the collet expanding medial section 104' until the sharp corner at the juncture of the medial and end sections engages the panel within the opening. As long as the axial length of the medial section does not exceed the thickness of the panel, only one panel at a time can be engaged, whereas the only limit on the maximum thickness of the panels is the weight (of a panel) which may be supported by thecollets. To insure withdrawal of only one panel at a time from track 26, a pair of outwardly projecting springs 27 are provided in recesses 29. in the sides of track 26 near the end thereof for engaging the next successive panel and preventing it from sliding off the end of the track.

Supports 94 are mounted on feeder carriage 78 with collets 92 aligned with openings 16 in panels suspended from track 26. One of supports 94 is mounted for limited lateral motion to compensate for any variations in the center-to-center distance between openings 16 in the panels. In the operation of the apparatus, feeder carriage 78 is moved from a fully retracted position (FIG. 8), in which carriage 52 and a panel suspended therefrom are free to move without interference with the collets, toward the panels suspended from track 26 to a second or pick-up position shown in FIG. 9 at which tapered end section 1% is disposed within opening 16 in the first panel which is located close to the end of track 26. Movement of carriage 78 from the fully retracted position to the pick-up position is effected by rotating face cam 86 until follower roll 94 is engaged with a dwell portion of the cam. Then, with the collets in pick-up position, engagement members 34 are moved toward the collets as shown in FIG. 10, advancing the panels along track 26 until the firstpanel comes to rest against the collar 102. For this purpose, motor 36 may be driven for a short period of predetermined duration. Tapered pins 96 are then retracted as shown in FIG. 11 to expand the collets which remain in pick-up position, to grip the first panel. Then, with the tapered pins retracted, the collets are moved toward their retracted position (FIG. 8) and during the return movement, a panel 1% gripped by the collets is moved into engagement with fingers 76 at a deposit position shown in FIG. 12 at which tapered pins 96 are extended to. allow the collets to contract and release the panel as shown in FIG. 13. The face cam includes an:

other dwell section which allows the collets to remain stationary in deposit position for a brief period while the tapered pins are extended to deposit the panel on the conveyor fingers. Operation of motor 36, which moves members 34 to advance the panels along track 26 toward the collets, is discontinued after the collets have been expanded and before return movement ofthe collets to position is commenced. When the collets reach their fully retracted position, conveyor carriage 52 with a panel sus-' pended therefrom is moved from between the colletsand the panels suspended from track 26, to another station in the apparatus at which thepanel is gripped while the carriage is returned to its loading position in'readiness to have another panel suspended therefrom.

The apparatus 'ofthe' invention may be employed for separating and transferring panels which vary considerably in thickness, so long as the thickness is greater than a predetermined minimum. The operation of the apparatus is both reliable and automatic even when the thickness of the panels varies by as much as a factor of four (or more), and the panels are always separated singly, from the other panels suspended from the input loading track and then transferred to the conveyor in a simple, rapid operation. 7

Since certain changes may be made in the above apparatus without departing from the scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for separating a first panel having a hole therethrough from another of said panels supported in contiguous, facing relation with said first panel, said apparatus. comprising, in combination:

support means for holding a plurality of said panels in contiguous, facing relation with said holes in said panels generally in alignment and with said first panel outermost;

, a 6 in, and a tapered end section for guiding said flared medial section into said hole;

means for introducing said colletinto said hole with said medial section located within said hole;

means for expanding said collet within said hole to 7 bring said medial section into engagement with said 7 panel; and

means for moving said collet relative to said support means for separating said first'panel from said other panel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said support means includes means for suspending said panels from upper portions thereof adjacent said holes with the faces of said panels in generally vertical planes; and said collet is mounted for movement in a direction generally perpendicular to said planes.

3. The apparatus of claim 27in which said support means include a track for suspending said panels; and means for engaging said panels and urging said panels along said track toward said collet.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said collet'includes asection adjacent said medial section dimensioned so as to be unable to enter said hole, for limiting introductory movement of said medial section into said hole.

5. The apparatus of claim '1 in which said collet and said hole are substantially round and said collet includes a collar having a diameter greater than the diameter of said hole and defining one extremity of said medial 7 section.

a collet including a flared medial section having an axial length not exceeding the thickness of said. first panel and dimensioned to fit within said hole therewithin said collet.

collet are conic sections intersecting at a substantially sharp corner. p

7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which the surfaces of said conic sections intersect at an angle of the order of 8. The apparatus of claim 6 in which said medial section of said collet is a section of a cone generated by rotating about one of its sides, an angle ranging from Ste 15 degrees.

' 9."The. apparatus of claim 1 'in'which said means for expanding said collet comprise a tapered pin located within said collet and meansanoving said pin axially 10; The apparatus of claim l in which second support means are provided for holding said panel, and said means for moving said collet relative to the first-mentioned support means move said panel from engagement with said first-mentioned support means into engagement 1 with said second support means and return said collet into position for introduction into said hole in the next successive panel.

11. Apparatus for transferring panels, each including a hole therethrough and supported by a first support means in contiguous facing relation, one at a time to a second support means, said apparatus comprising, in combinaand supporting said panels for movement toward 7 said collet;

means for supporting said collet in a first position in alignment with said holes; 7

means for moving said panels toward said collet until the foremost of, said panels comes to rest against saidenlarged section of said collet with said intermediate section disposed within said hole therein;

means for expanding said collet to cause said intermediate section to engage said panel;

means for moving said collet from first position away from said panels to a second position to transfer said panel to said second support means; and

means for contracting said collet in said second position to release said panel.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 in which said hole is circular and said collet has a circular cross section; the diameter of said enlarged section exceeds the diameter of said hole; and the diameter of said collet at the junction of said intermediate and end sections, in the unexpanded condition thereof, is less than the diameter of said hole.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 in which said intermediate and end sections are conic and include surfaces which intersect at a substantially sharp corner.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 in which said intermediate section of said collet is a section of a cone generated by rotating an angle ranging from to 15 degrees about one of its sides.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 in which said first support means comprise a track for suspending said panels adjacent said holes, and said means for supporting said collet is movable from said first position to said second position to move said panel beyond an end of said track from engagement therewith.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 in which said means for expanding said collet comprises a tapered pin within said collet and means for reciprocating said pin within said collet.

17. Apparatus for loading a succession of panels, arranged in contiguous facing relation, onto a conveyor, said apparatus comprising, in combination:

a track extending in a generally horizontal direction for suspending a plurality of said panels by the upper sections thereof;

first drive means for moving said panels along said track in a first direction;

a conveyor mounted adjacent an end of said track in the path of movement of said panels along said track;

said conveyor being mounted for movement transversely of the direction of movement of said panels along said track and including means for engaging openings in said panels for suspending said panels;

transfer means including support means mounted to the side of said conveyor opposite said track for movement toward and away from said conveyor and said track;

a pair of collets each including an outwardly flared medial section and a tapered end section mounted on said support means in alignment with other openings in said panels suspended from said track; second drive means for moving said support means and said collets to a loading position at which said tapered end sections of said collets are disposed within said other openings in one of said panels and retaining said collets in said loading position while said first drive means are operated to advance said panels along said track toward said collets until said medial sections are disposed within said other openings of one panel;

means for expanding said collets to engage said one panel within said other openings therein;

said second drive means including means for moving said collets and said one panel engaged thereby away from said track toward said conveyor to deposit said one panel on said conveyor when said collets are contracted;

second drive means including means for moving said collets to a fully retracted position out of the path of said conveyor following deposit of said one panel on said conveyor; and

means for moving said conveyor from between said collets and said panels suspended from said track,

unloading said one panel from said conveyor and returning said conveyor to its original position.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 in which said means for expanding said collets comprise tapered pins mounted for reciprocating movement within said collets and means mounted in said support means for reciprocating said tapered pins within said collets.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 in which each of said collets includes a collar having a radial dimension which prohibits it from entering said other holes in said panels, and said medial section commences at said collar, terminates at said tapered end section and has an axial length not exceeding the minimum thickness of any of said panels.

20. Theapparatus of claim 17in which-said medial sectionof said collet comprises a section of a cone generated by rotating an angle of the order of five to fifteen degrees about one of its sides, said tapered end section is a section of a cone and the peripheral surfaces of said medial and end sections intersect at a sharp edge.

References Cited in the'file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING A FIRST PANEL HAVING A HOLE THERETHROUGH FROM ANOTHER OF SAID PANELS SUPPORTED IN CONTIGUOUS, FACING RELATION WITH SAID FIRST PANEL, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: SUPPORT MEANS FOR HOLDING A PLURALITY OF SAID PANELS IN CONTIGUOUS, FACING RELATION WITH SAID HOLES IN SAID PANELS GENERALLY IN ALIGNMENT AND WITH SAID FIRST PANEL OUTERMOST; A COLLET INCLUDING A FLARED MEDIAL SECTION HAVING AN AXIAL LENGTH NOT EXCEEDING THE THICKNESS OF SAID FIRST PANEL AND DIMENSIONED TO FIT WITHIN SAID HOLE THEREIN, AND A TAPERED END SECTION FOR GUIDING SAID FLARED MEDIAL SECTION INTO SAID HOLE; MEANS FOR INTRODUCING SAID COLLET INTO SAID HOLE WITH SAID MEDIAL SECTION LOCATED WITHIN SAID HOLE; MEANS FOR EXPANDING SAID COLLET WITHIN SAID HOLE TO BRING SAID MEDIAL SECTION INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID PANEL; AND MEANS FOR MOVING SAID COLLET RELATIVE TO SAID SUPPORT MEANS FOR SEPARATING SAID FIRST PANEL FROM SAID OTHER PANEL. 